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# Judge Blocks Mass Federal Layoffs Pending Appeal
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/judge-blocks-mass-federal-layoffs-pending-appeal/
- Published: 2025-05-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T15:12:35.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5159239

Northern California federal judge **Susan Illston** has extended by two weeks a preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration’s plans for further reductions in force at FDA and 21 other federal agencies while the case is being appealed. The late 5/22 [decision](https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/288497fc-9b36-4d0d-bf97-a2949b5464ce.pdf?itid=lk%5Finline%5Fmanual%5F11&ref=fdaweb.com) is in response to lawsuits filed by labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and local governments challenging the administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce without congressional approval.

The Democrat-appointed judge's ruling emphasized that such sweeping changes require legislative cooperation, stating, "The court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks." She further noted that the administration's actions could not circumvent Congress in executing large-scale structural changes.

The injunction mandates that affected employees be reinstated to their prior statuses, effectively pausing the implementation of the administration's reduction-in-force plans. The ruling affects major departments, including Health and Human Services, Transportation, Labor, Agriculture, and the Social Security Administration. The retrospective reinstatement relief was further stayed by the judge pending appeal.